On Nov. 29, 2018, at the age of 70, Sam’s “long story became short”. He passed away at East Kootenay Regional Hospital after a lengthy and courageous struggle with brain cancer. Sam was born in Cranbrook on December 21, 1947 to Alley and June (Pelletier) Hughes and lived most of his life here. He had a varied work career, from tire shop manager at OK Tire, to dock foreman and driver for Millar & Brown/Direct Transport to sawyer and scaler for Totten Logging and finally logging truck driver for R & L Trucking. He married his wife Lynn Paul in 1971, and together they raised the pride and joy of their lives, their son Jason “Huey”.

Sam enjoyed many sports, playing both baseball and hockey, but his favourite was rodeo where he competed in bareback riding and team roping. He excelled in the arena. Hunting trips and fishing trips to Seven Mile and Cherry Lakes held many special memories for him.

Sam will be remembered for his incredible memory, his story telling, and for being a caring and loyal husband, father, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Lynn, son Jason, his sister Dale Ann (Jack) van Leusden and their children Jesse (Amber) Myles (Nathan and Jayden), Derek (Molly) van Leusden (Eli, Simon and Nia), Katie (Nathan) Troxel (Adelaide and Will), sister-in-law Debbie (Len) Curle and their children Rachel Curle and Sarah (Kelly) Andrews (Amethyst and Lukas), mother-in-law Marion Paul, aunts Sandra Pelletier and Mae Hughes and many cousins. He was predeceased by his mother and father, father-in-law Don Paul, uncles and aunts Web Hughes, Mel (Shirley) Hughes, Andy (Louise) Pelletier, Calvin, Stuart, and Neville Pelletier and Regis (Harry) Jacobson and Shirley Pelletier.

Please join us at a gathering for family and friends to reminisce and share memories of happy times spent with Sam on Thursday, December 6, 2018, 1:30 pm at the Cranbrook Golf Course, 2700 2nd St. S.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute in Sam’s memory to the
Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC Branch
4940 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC, V5G 4M5
Of a charity of your choice.